


Cold Steele

by A_once_and_future_love



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe-Private Investigator, And so are Cisco and Caitlin, Barry is a P.I, He does now, Leonard Snart doesn't exist, M/M, Remington Steele AU, Well - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-09 11:13:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5537750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_once_and_future_love/pseuds/A_once_and_future_love
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every personal belonging in the room was brand new. The shirts and suits still had tags, the shoes had no scuffs, the hairbrush was free from even a speck of dandruff. This, plus the fact that no one outside of Barry Allen and his partners had ever seen or talked to Mr. Snart, he was forced to make the conclusion that the man he was impersonating was a fiction. Which meant that Barry Allen was a lot more devious than he appeared.<br/>And wasn’t that just interesting?</p><p>Or- the one where Barry, Cisco and Caitlin are Private Investigators working for a boss that they made up and Len is a con man out for a diamond</p><p>Written for the 2015 Coldflash Secret Santa</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Steele

Barry Allen truly was an attractive man. His short, thick brown hair was just asking to have fingers run through it, his lips begging to be kissed, his hazel eyes as mesmerizing as any gem—

            If only those eyes weren’t currently boring a hole into him as he walked onto the stage to greet the crowd, those lips weren’t pursed in anger like he wished nothing more than to run up after him and yell to the world that he wasn’t really Leonard Snart, renowned private detective.

            He had to admit, he felt guilty about leading the kid on. It started in Kahndaq, where a rare diamond was stolen and sold to a private collector in Paris. From there, it’d been moved from London, to New York City, to Los Angeles, until finally making its way to Central City, where the Rathaway’s purchased it with the plans of putting it on display in the Central City Museum. Having followed the diamond all around the world, only to have it snatched just out of his grasp each time, the man had devised a smarter plan to get it this time. Instead of hiring a security agency to protect the diamond, they decided to place its care in the hands of a small private detective agency –The Leonard Snart Detective Agency.

            Which is where young P.I, Barry Allen, had come in.

            It wasn’t difficult to convince the young detective or his partners—an uptight red-head named Caitlin Snow and an eccentric young Hispanic boy named Cisco Ramon –that he was Dexter Myles, the museum owner (who was really on vacation), and that he was worried about the security of the diamond while it was being transported to his museum.

            Barry had smiled and assured him that Mr. Snart had everything under control. He’d enjoyed the blush that crossed the young detective’s face when he’d asked him out to dinner.

            “So,” he’d asked as he poured Barry a glass of champagne. “Why a P.I?”

            Barry blushed again, and he was starting to really like the color on the detective. “Well, my adopted father is a cop.” Barry explained, fingers twitching nervously. “And I always wanted to be involved in law enforcement, ever since I was eleven and my mom….” He grabbed his flute and downed the whole thing in one drink. “Anyway,” he continued, “Joe, my adopted father, didn’t want me to join the force –not even as a CSI! He thought it was too dangerous. So, I decided to become a P.I, and he’s been mad at me ever since.”

            The man raised an eyebrow. He knew Barry was holding something back from the story, but decided not to press it. After all, this was about the diamond, not getting to know the gorgeous detective protecting it. However…

            “So, is it everything you dreamed of?” He had to ask, refilling Barry’s cup. The detective shrugged.

            “When I first started, people didn’t really take me seriously.” He admitted. “I tried opening my own agency, but it didn’t work out. Whenever people see me, they see some kid that can’t take care of himself, much less whatever _they_ need me to take care of.”

            The man nodded. “Until Mr. Snart came along, I assume?”

            He tried not to feel jealous at the warm smile that appeared on Barry’s face. “Oh, no. Mr. Snart is the best boss anyone could ask for. He doesn’t judge or profile us, the only thing he cares about is how well we do our jobs. He’s smart and caring and the best detective I’ve ever met.”

            “Hmm.” The man hummed. “Sounds too good to be true.” Which, he was to find out later, after a phone call in the lobby for the private detective saved him from the Mardon Brothers (who were also after the diamond and wanted him dead after an incident in both Paris and New York City), and forced him to assume the man’s identity. At first, he’d been worried about maybe running into the man, blowing his cover and _this was not all going to plan!_ But then, he discovered he’d been given a gift.

            Leonard Snart didn’t exist.

            The Rathaways, who had made sure that Leonard Snart had the most expensive room in the 5 star hotel across the street, had made sure he made it there and was settled before going off to their own room. He frowned at what he found.

            Every personal belonging in the room was brand new. The shirts and suits still had tags, the shoes had no scuffs, the hairbrush was free from even a speck of dandruff. This, plus the fact that no one outside of Barry Allen and his partners had ever seen or talked to Mr. Snart, he was forced to make the conclusion that the man he was impersonating was a fiction. Which meant that Barry Allen was a lot more devious than he appeared.  

            And wasn’t that just interesting?

            He knew when Barry asked him to sit with him for the diamond’s exhibition that he’d made an error showing up. Especially when Mr. Rathaway took the stage to thank the Leonard Snart Detective Agency. Barry beamed proudly at the praise Rathaway spouted about his agency –because there was now no doubt in his mind that it _was_ all Barry Allen’s. His idea, his agency, his baby. And now, he thought that he was finally going to get the praise he deserved.

            He tried to convince himself that it was discomfort in his stomach, not guilt, when Rathaway called Leonard Snart to the stage, looking directly at him. Barry turned to him in disbelief, but he ignored it, instead taking the stage as Leonard Snart.

\---

            He headed towards his seat when everyone rose after Rathaway’s speech but, instead of stopping to sit, he grabbed Barry’s hand and pulled him to the dance floor. The young detective glowered at him, but went along.

            “Sorry about that.” He said, drawing him into a dance. “I didn’t expect him to pull me up there.”

            Barry scowled. “You’re not Dexter Myles and you’re not Leonard Snart. You’re a con-man.”

            The man shrugged. “Guilty.” He spun Barry around, then pulled him so they were chest to chest. He smirked when he saw a scarlet blush crawl its way onto the detective’s cheeks. “How am I doing impersonating him?”

            “You’re nothing like him.” Barry growled. “He’s honest and brilliant and dedicated and—”

            “Fictional?”

            Barry’s eyes widened. “What…I...I don’t—”

             The man cut him off by dipping him. “Not a hair in his brush, a scuff mark on his shoes and he must throw away his shirts as he wears them, because all of the ones in his room are brand new.”

            When he lifted Barry back up, the detective looked worried. “What are you going to do? I mean, with all of this?”

            The man raised an eyebrow. “With ‘Leonard Snart’? Nothing. I only took his identity to get out of a temporary jam. I’m after a bigger prize.”

            Barry narrowed his eyes angrily. “The diamond.”

            He shrugged, spinning Barry around again. He leaned in closer, noticing how, despite his anger, the detective’s eyes kept flickering down to his lips. Their noses brushed together, and Barry inhaled sharply, his lips parting.

            The man thought about leaning in the rest of the way, pressing their lips together and just _taking_. But then, over Barry’s shoulder, he saw Caitlin and Cisco running into the room, glaring in their direction. He sighed internally, but kept his outwardly cool demeanor.

            “I believe your friends are looking for you, Scarlet.” He whispered, pulling away. Barry started breathing again and stomped off to where his friends stood.

\---

 

            When he arrived back in Leonard Snart’s room, the three P.I’s were waiting for him. “Hello, Scarlet.” He leered. “Didn’t think I’d see you here, not that I’m complaining.”

            Barry rolled his eyes and, behind him, Cisco snorted. “Let’s just turn him in, Barry.”

            He chuckled. “I’d actually have to commit the crime to be ‘turned in’ and, last I checked, the diamond is still safe and sound in the museum.”

            “And what about Dexter Myles?” Cisco shot back. “Does his murder just not count?”

            He frowned. “What?”

            “The _real_ Dexter Myles is hanging on a coat hook in your closet.” Caitlin explained. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

            “Murder isn’t really my style.” He responded. “The Mardon Brothers probably killed him, knowing I was using his identity, to frame me so they could get to the diamond first.”

            “So, you’re still planning on stealing it?” Barry asked, arms crossed over his chest.

            He shrugged. “Thought crossed my mind.”

            “We’ll have to stop you.”

            “By calling the police? If you thought I was guilty, you’d have done it already.” He took a step closer to Barry. “You know I didn’t kill Dexter Myles. Don’t you, Scarlet?”

            A look of uncertainty crossed Barry’s face, and he knew that he’d convinced the young detective.

            “I still think you did it.” Cisco grumbled, but he was ignored as the space between the man and Barry shortened with another step.

            “Barry.” They stared into each other’s eyes, both looking for something in the other they hoped was there. After a few moments, Barry nodded.

            “I believe you.” Relief filled the man. “But, we need to find a way to get rid of the Mardon Brothers.”

            He nodded. “I have an idea, but it’ll involve moving the dead body into their hotel room.”

\---

 

            After planting the body in the Mardon Brothers’ closet, much like they’d planted it in his, and setting himself up as bait in the hotel lobby, it was easy to give them the satisfaction that they’d won. They’d dragged him into their room, taunting him until Mark Mardon opened their closet and saw Dexter Myles’ dead body hanging.

            “I thought we planted him in _his_ room!” He’d shouted, jumping away from the closet like he’d been burnt. Clyde drew his knife to point at the man’s throat, but the police chose that moment to burst in, followed by Barry, Cisco and Caitlin. The pair were arrested for murder and, as they were being dragged off, Clyde shouted, “Who are you?!”      

            One of the officers laughed. “Don’t you know? He’s Leonard Snart! The best P.I there is!”

            When the police were out the door, Cisco and Caitlin following, he and Barry hung behind. “Are you going to be okay?”

            He chuckled. “I’ve been doing this a long time, kid, and I’m still in one piece.”

            Barry stepped closer. “What are you going to do?”

            “Well, I thought about taking that diamond,” he teased, taking a step himself, “but, I found that it would hurt someone I’ve grown somewhat fond of. The Rathaways leave with it today, so I’ll follow it once it’s out of your hands and take it then.”

            They were unbearably close now, and he couldn’t help himself. He brought their lips together in one swoop. Barry, who seemed shocked at first, relaxed in his arms and kissed back sweetly.  

            But good things never last, and soon they both pulled back, staring breathless at each other. “See ya, Scarlet.” He managed to say. He took one last look, knowing how unlikely it would be to see the young detective again, and he exited the room, more conflicted than he’d even been

\---

 

            “STOP THAT THIEF!”

            Apparently, seeing Barry again was more likely than he thought. He stood in the airport, watching the Rathaways carefully to get a feel of the security, when he and Cisco came running in at full speed towards him. However, the moment Barry’s shout left his mouth, Mr. Rathaway took off in a different direction.

            Barry skidded to a stop, obviously confused. “You didn’t steal it?” He asked, a bit of hope in his voice.

            “Of course not, I’m a man of my word.” The man answered, slightly offended. “Now, though, it’s fair game!” He took off running, with Barry following close behind, yelling, “No it’s not!”

            They, of course, caught up to Mr. Rathaway. He’d lost a lot of money in bad investments and thought the insurance would help. Now, he had to pay for a divorce lawyer on top of it.

 

 

            The man thought long and hard about what he wanted, who he wanted to be. He’d seen what that diamond had done –to Rathaway, to the Mardons. Did he really want that for himself? Or was there something else worth stealing now?

            He found himself sitting in an office he’d visited only a few days before, when he was Dexter Myles, except now, he was someone else. He heard voices heading for the door and waited.

            An older man walked in, looking shocked when he saw him. “Mr. Snart. Your associate said that you were out of town.”

            He resisted the urge to smile when Barry practically pushed his way inside, a surprised, but warm expression on his face. “I thought so too.”

            Leonard Snart shrugged. “There was nothing there for me.” He leaned forward and smiled. “Now, how can the Leonard Snart Detective Agency help you today?”

                                                                                                                                                                                             


End file.
